Portable boat



'(No Model.)

0. W. KING.

PORTABLE BOAT.

Patented Sept. 18, 1888.

N PETERS. Pholv-Lilhographer. Wnhingmn. D4 C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES W. KING, OF KALAMAZO O, MICHIGAN.

. PORTABLE BOAT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 389,817, dated September 18, 1888.

Application filed January '7, 1888. Serial No. 260,034. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES W. KING, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kalamazoo, county of Kalamazoo, State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Portable Boat,of which the following is a specification.

This invention more particularly relates to an invention patented to me in the United States, June 8, 1886, No. 343,244; and it has for its object the below described and claimed improvements.

In the drawingsforming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a plan looking into the top of the boat, portions, of course, being in perspective; Fig. 2, a broken elevation of lettered details, enlarged; Fig. 3, a section on dotted line 00 00, Fig. 1, enlarged; Fig.4, a side elevation of Fig. 5, showing operation; Fig. 5, a plan of Fig. 6; Fig. 6, lettered details, enlarged from Fig. 4, in different positions; and Fig. 7 is a perspective of the boat folded into a bundle.

Referring to the lettersmarked on the drawings, B is the outer fabric of the boat, having longitudinal ribs in lapping sections and crossribs bow-shaped, as in the prior patent above named. In the present instance I employ an upper rib for the two end sections of longitudinal ribs, which upper ribs are not continuous past the middle section, as heretofore. For the space thus left in the upper loop or hem of the fabric I employ a short rib, c,having a right-angled end or handle. A hole is cutinto theloop of the fabricat 1,into which the rib c is inserted, said rib being shown in the loop by dotted lines in Fig. 2. When the handle of the rib c is turned down as in said figure, the rib can be readily withdrawn; but when the rib c is pushed farther in and the handle is turned upward its contact with the fabric retains it in place. This position is not here shown.

Of course the boat is alike on both sides. The object of the short upper ribs is that they may be removed and the central longitudinal section taken out, when one half of the boat may be folded over onto the other half, of course observing to first remove the bottom boards, a. At r r are blocks attached to the boat, to which the oars are attached. The boards a a may consist of any suitable number. They are detachably held in place by bars to, having each folded upon themselves, as in Fig. 3, and between the bars of the folded ends the boards are inserted. The bars a may be attached to the keel D or not, as desired. This makes a light and convenient bottom, which can be readily taken apart to fold with the bundle in Fig. 7. This figure shows how the boat looks when folded for carrying. For a better understanding of taking the boat down and folding, see my patent herein referred to.

The buttons 2, which I employ in the present instance to hold the cross-ribs o to the keel, have-slots in the ends, into which the end of the sliding latch3 passes,Fig. 5. This latch is attached to the keel by staples, and has a loop end, which, when turned flat, may catch over the stud 4, and is thus prevented from accidental displacement. To slide the latch to release the button, the loop is raised off of the stud 4 and then slid back. The body of the keel D is made in two detachable parts. One part,the left-hand,as here shown, has a strap, 0, attached to it on each side. These straps extend beyond the end of the keel part and have an inverted U-bow connecting the ends at 7 8 and acentral U-bow,9, forming a seat for the end of the other part of the keel D. The inverted how 8 has a slot through it, through which the loop 6 passes when the keel parts are swung down to place from the position shown in Fig. 4 to that in Figs. 5 and 6. The key 5 is then inserted in the loop 6.

Having thus described my invention,whatI claim is- 1. The combination of the canvas or flexible boat-body, a series of longitudinal ribs in sections, a section being in each end of the body and a section at each side within the body and between the end sections, and the ribs having the angled end, one of said ribs being inserted in the fold at the upper edge of the bodyabove the central sections of ribs, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of the boat-body, the keel, a series of bottom boards parallel with the keel and at each side of the same, and the transverse rods provided with the loops, into which loops the boards are detachably inserted, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of the boat-body, the

keel, the crossribs, the buttons which attach said ribs to the keel, said buttons having the end slot, the sliding latch on said keel engaging the slot of the button, said latch having a looped handle end and adapted to be rotated in its bearings, and a stud on said keel, over which stud the loop of the sliding latch catches, substantially as set forth.

4. lhe combination of a canvas or flexible boat-body, the keel made in two parts, one part having the side straps projecting beyond the end, between which straps the end of the other part of the keel is detachably inserted,

CHAS. \V. KING.

Witnesses:

LEWIS H. BASSETT, CHARLES A. SNOW. 

